(Part 2) Best products from r/Music

Pm'd you. So I'm like 0 level beginner. Have basically no knowledge of any of this stuff but I want to learn keyboard. I've seen some people say that drumpads on a keyboard aren't that great but that they should be fine for a beginner, or that you can even use the keys for the drum parts. Would something like this be a good choice? I like that it's not too expensive, plug and play (easy), has keyboards and drum pad, and a pretty good rating. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M13A6JT/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1I have also considered the Akai LPK25, or a similar one by Pyle. Or a Worlde Panda one that has drumpads as well. But this one looks like the best option to me so far.I have a CAD usb mic which I use mostly to record myself singinghttps://www.amazon.com/CAD-Studio-Condenser-Recording-Microphone/dp/B001AIQGUO/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=cad+microphone&qid=1559163345&s=musical-instruments&sr=1-3The reason I want to make my own music, rather than using premade instrumentals is that I want to make something that's completely mine, that I can be proud of. I know it'll probably be a long way til I'm making anything decent but I figure it'll be a fun learning process, at least I hope.Thanks for your help!

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Edit: Oh, also I've researched on good options for free DAWs and I've seen a lot of websites say that Magix Music Maker is probably the best free DAW for Windows. And it also looks the easiest to use, though I haven't been able to do much with it yet. Do you know anything about that? I would definitely still like to get Ableton Live Lite to see if that ends up being preferable.

Your Wish Is My Command:

Bass Lead:
Johnny Dyani - Song For Biko
Paul Chambers - Bass on Top (Miles Davis bassist- This guy is seriously cool)

General Jazz
Clarke, Kenny & Francy Boland Big Band - Change Of Scenes (Big band with a bass solo on track 6 thats amazing)
Axelrod, David - Song Of Innocence
Axelrod, David - Songs Of Experience heavily sampled by everyone - hear it asap
Ayler, Albert - Live In Greenwich Village The Complete Impulse Recordings (their rendition of saints go marching in will change your perspective of music forever)
Stitt, Sonny - Kaleidoscope
Silver, Horace - Blowin' The Blues Away
Sharrock, Sonny - Ask The Ages (guitar jazz)
Rollins, Sonny - Saxaphone Colossus
Ra, Sun And The Arkestra - Sound Of Joy (planet earth on this lp is one i play my friends to get them into jazz, most end up digging it)
Parlan, Horace - Happy Frame Of Mind (this guy has a physical disability with his hand which makes his playing unique)
Morgan, Lee - The Sidewinder
Monk, Thelonious - Straight, No Chaser
La Roca, Pete - Basra
Lacy, Steve - 5 X Monk 5 X Lacy
Lateef, Yusef - Eastern Sounds
Laws, Hubert - In The Beginning
Hancock, Herbie - Head Hunters
Green, Grant - Matador
Davis, Miles - Birth Of The Cool
Davis, Miles - Round About Midnight
Davis, Miles - Miles Ahead
Davis, Miles - Kind Of Blue
Davis, Miles - Sketches Of Spain
Davis, Miles - Seven Steps To Heaven
Davis, Miles - Miles Smiles
Davis, Miles - Nefertiti
Davis, Miles - Filles De Kilimanjaro
Davis, Miles - Bitches Brew
Davis, Miles - In A Slient Way
Davis, Miles - A Tribute To Jack Johnson
Davis, Miles - On The Corner

Weird\Free\Awkward Jazz
Don Cherry - Mu
Ornette Coleman - Shape Of Jazz To Come (More important than miles in my opinion)
Taylor, Cecil - Unit Structures
Big Satan - I Think They Liked It Honey
Shepp, Archie - The Magic Of Ju-Ju

The Most Difficult Album Ever:
Brotzmann, Peter - Machine Gun

I got into Jazz by listening to Theme De Yoyo by Art Ensemble Of Chicago. From there I moved onto the big hitters like John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck. Closer inspection of the players on the albums will lead you to other soloists. For example the Sax player Cannonball Adderly is on kind of blue, he has an album called Somethin' Else which has Art Blakey on Drums etc etc etc.

The more you dig the more you find out there is to listen. You then start to visit historic people like louis armstrong, duke ellington etc and through that you recognize standards. Then once you start out seeking out standards you realise loads of people do them and you get into the modern stuff.

All music is for sure a great resource as they basically tell you who is on the lp and its rating. i trust them for jazz. Also, this book is lovely.

I then started seeking out records labels like Blue Note, Impulse, ECM, Jazz Actuel, Columbia Jazz etc.

Let me know how you are getting on in the future. I'd stay clear at the moment from loft jazz, fire music and free jazz as some of its crazy. And I will just laugh when you hear machine gun and go "WTF IS THIS!!!!) yes, it IS a saxophone...

just enjoy it.

1. It's different. I know how Kanye works better than the others, mostly because my former band mates work with him quite a bit. It's a very collective event in the studio. Kanye brings in various creators (of beats, sounds, melodies, etc) into the studio. Kanye approaches music creation in a much different way. He's kind of a post modernist in that sense. Almost more like a film director than a typical composer. He curates the songwriting. In an ideal world, everyone who is involved in the creation of those songs should be getting songwriting credits and performance royalties. But it's not always the case. People can also be paid "for hire" as it's called. Where you're paid a fee up front to relinquish your publishing/songwriting rights. But I want to stress, what he does is very particular...and also, in my opinion, pretty amazing...creatively speaking.
   
   As for the others, many of them have songwriters that they regularly work with, or the producers they work with know other songwriters that pitch material too. I don't work with those people on any kind of substantive basis. So I can't speak for how they work. But I would assume that most of them are singing other people's songs. So the way royalties get distributed is split between the performer (ie Ariana Grande) and the songwriter (whoever). And it gets even more complicated than that (the songwriter's publishing is split between the "writers" side and the "publishing" side). There are whole books that have been written about the complexities of royalty payments. But suffice it to say, the reason it's complicated is specifically to screw songwriters out of their publishing. See: Ray Charles, and pretty much every other black songwriter/performer from 1900-1975.
   
   (also worth noting, this is incredibly simplistic explanation...I'm sure someone else can explain more eloquently)
   
   
2. The people who create the songs dont necessarily also know how to launch the careers of artists. Those are two completely different skill sets. That's a marketing genius vs a songwriting ace. Different parts of the brain at work there. And often, songerwriters aren't particularly interested in developing a performer's career. That involves management, PR, etc. Very quickly becomes not about songwriting. Also, there are way more songwriters than pop stars. Once a star is established, there are alot of talented songwriters out there that can write a hit. I promise you.
   
   Also, keep in mind, that's just one very narrow understanding of songwriting. Most any band you listen to on a college radio station, or on a Zach Braff soundtrack, wrote and performed those songs. So they are also affected by all this. This is not an issue limited to the people who write hits for Lady Gaga (though I think she writes a bit herself as well).
   
   
3. Labels dont control what gets played on the radio. At least not directly. Of course, their influence is pretty overwhelming. But they aren't literally telling people what to play. That's called payola. And it was a thing. And then it was made illegal. Also, keep in mind major radio is really just controlled by a couple of very powerful companies.
   
   So is it possible to get on major radio as an independent artist? Yes. But it's incredibly difficult. Major labels definitely have the lion's share of control of what gets played. But they aren't literally making the playlists. At least not to my knowledge. But admittedly, I know less about major radio politics. Bc it's gross and terrible.
   
   
4. Major labels do NOT control everything. This really needs to be made very clear. I, and many many others, exist in a music world that is completely independent from that model. And that's the point I'm trying to make. Indie record labels actually DO pay their artists. College radio actually DOES pay alot more in royalties than streaming services. There's a whole music economy that exists independent of major labels and commercial radio. And streaming is crushing us. At least financially. It's still unclear how beneficial it is in the long-run. But for sure, the payment structure (roughly 1/1000 of a penny per play) seems pretty nuts compared to the royalty rates for college radio plays.
   
   As for what criteria is used to create a pop star, hell if I know. Who would've thought that Kesha would be a star if you saw her sing or walk down the street? Some are more obvious choices. I've seen Katy Perry in really early video when she was 16. She had a powerful voice. Good personality. Good stage presence. And obviously good looking. It's not rocket science. And even in the pop world, most of it is still very much a bout luck. For every Katy Perry, there's 10 people you've never heard of who are playing at some rinky dink carnival right now trying to drum up some "viral content." It's still a crap shoot, even at that level. No one knows what will stick.
   
   They used to say that the music business is the only business where 1% of your business makes up for the rest of the 99% failure. Major labels are set up for handling either massive successes or huge failures. They've always had a hard time managing the careers of modest/middle-of-the-road musicians. They're just not built for that.
   
   Definitely not dumb questions at all. It's all super confusing. And deliberately so. But the overarching point is, most musicians are writing their own music. And they more than likely still own at least part if not all of their publishing rights. So when you stream music or steal it, you really are taking money out of their pockets in a substantial manor.
   
   I use Spotify. I get it. It's great. But people need to know how the business works before they start making assumptions like "well, they make tons of money touring." It's not true. But anyway.
   
   Check this out if you want to know more

This is probably a question for /r/WeAreTheMusicMakers - They're usually pretty great for answering music production questions :)

That said, Logic, Reason or Pro Tools are your 'staple' DAWs - They are all equally powerful (for your intents and purposes), and Logic is the cheapest, so Logic is a good idea. You're also going to need a USB Audio Interface (I recommend the Scarlett 2i2 for small projects, or the Saffire Pro 40 if you plan on micing a drum kit) to get signal from mics/guitars into the computer. Look into getting some cheap-ish mics (AT2020 for acoustic guitar/vocals/overheads, and the SM57 and SM58 for whatever else, at least for starters).

There are oodles of great Youtube tutorials that will teach you how to use Logic, and eventually you'll want to invest in studio headphones and studio monitors (unless you already have them), which are built specifically to give you an objective sound to accurately mix.


I'm not an expert producer, but I do freelance stuff locally out of my home studio - My work for reference

Feel free to PM with questions, and you should definitely post in /r/WeAreTheMusicMakers! They'll probably have better answers than me, but I hope this helps.

If you're solo-tracking, you only need a few things, along with your computer. I wouldn't get a four track.

Microphone

For your purposes, I'd go with the SM-57. It's considered the workhorse of microphones - it's durable, versatile, and can sound surprisingly good on vocals given the right preamps. It can also record drums better than a condenser mic. It won't sound as good on your vocals as a condenser would, but it has better long-term value.

Audio Interface

I don't know much about entry-level audio interfaces... but this seems good. I used to use a Fast Track Pro back in the day, and it was shit, so avoid that. Look for something without all the bells and whistles, and quality preamps.

DAW (Digital Audio Workstation)

The industry standard is ProTools, but because they don't have native support for VSTs (plug-ins), I prefer Cubase. Ableton is nice as well, and has a completely different workflow to it, but it just comes down to which style you like.

Good luck!

how much time are you looking to devote? any mediums in particular that you want (documentaries, books, lectures, etc)? are you already into jazz or are you new to the genre? any specific musicians instruments or styles that you want to learn more about in particular? without knowing an of that.

1. if you aren't new to jazz, start from the beginning - its new orleans blues/ragtime roots. if you are new or get bored with it before things get interesting for you (early jazz isnt everyones thing), figure out what you like and go from there
   
2. the ken burns jazz documentary series is a great place to start if you acknowledge its limitations and imperfections (he heavily relies on a couple of musicians and musical experts, its a general survey that doesn't dive into detail on any one person genre or period and doesn't do a good job of covering jazz into the 60s and beyond).
   
3. listen to tons and tons of jazz. duhhhhh.
   
4. im personally a fan of allmusic's guide to jazz for reviews on specific albums. youll find yourself coming back to it often. the essays and lists at the end of the book are so so so key. the list of essential jazz records for any fan is really important. this isnt for a 'story of jazz from the beginning' but it is a great resource for if you have questions about a specific artist or record. if you're curious what the most essential theolonious monk or whoever else recordings are, this is the book to get.
   
5. for a history of jazz book i recommend this book, though it has its limitations as well

There are tons. First, there's only 1 actual album, Grace. Other official releases include:

• Live at Sin-e both in a short EP form and the multi-disc full set that's linked.
  
• Sketches (For My Sweetheart the Drunk) which is mostly stuff from early sessions of what would have been his second album.
  
• Songs to No One 1991-1992 which is material from before the release of Grace. Some earlier versions of stuff that ended up on Grace, then some other songs that are not available elsewhere.
  
  Then there's a number of live CDs and DVDs that pretty much all have a cover song or two that isn't available elsewhere. Beyond that there's probably another.. oh 40 or so different covers or very different versions of his songs floating around the net. My Jeff extras folder has nearly a hundred tracks in it. Highlights for me include the four songs by Tim Buckley, his father, that he performed at a [tribute event](http://fuelfriends.blogspot.com/2006/07/jeff-buckley-channels-his-father-st.html(, his reading of the Poe poem Ulalume from the cd Closed on Account of Rabies, and Satisfied Mind (though they pretty much all are wonderful).

Read this and this

Edit: Additionally, everyone has a natural frequency they resonate at. When you wake up in the morning, hum a note. What comes naturally is usually your natural resonance. Due to sympathetic vibrations in the harmonic series, certain harmonies and sympathetic tones can physically interact with your "personal frequency"

In other words, music fucking rules

I haven't listened to many full albums because I'm just getting into the amazing run of singles released in the latter half of the 70s, so if you're looking for a compilation, try No Thanks! for 100 of the necessary stuff. Such a fertile period, masses upon masses of kids playing with matches... to very good results of course.

I also love:
The Clash - London Calling (obvs)
Television - Marquee Moon (does this even count?)
Stooges - Raw Power (PLAY IT FUCKING LOUD)
Gang of Four - Entertainment! (a dance-off at your own personal shame banquet)
Wire - Pink Flag (so complex, "Ramones went to art school" etc.)
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures (bleak but super groovy)
Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady (so much fun, but also very sad and lonely)

I actually just ordered some headphones, and decided to go with these. Haven't gotten them yet, but always hear good things about them.

I also own a pair of these Bose ones, which I was given as a gift. The sound and comfort is great, but they're constructed poorly, and the earphones can break off the frame. Nothing that some super glue couldn't fix, though... but still, not worth the price.

Michel Gondry does some amazing music videos. Some are just technically wonderful, like the video he did for Kylie Minogue's Come Into My World or the Chemical Brothers' Star Guitar, and some are technically simple but quite moving, like his video for the Gary Jules cover of Mad World.

There's a great DVD collection out there of music videos by Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze, and Chris Cunningham, which I highly recommend.

AKG K240's-They sound great and are super comfortable. May be a little pricey depending on your needs, but have a good warrantee and seem pretty sturdy (though I baby them).
http://www.amazon.com/AKG-K240MKII-STUDIO-STANDARD-55OHM/dp/B0016MNBAM/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1293432089&sr=1-6

As a biologist and a musician, I can tell you with certainty that it's fucking magic

Music causes strange things to happen in the brain, there's a number of popular science books on the subject (e.g, Musicophilia). Neurologists don't understand it fully. Playing music is one of the most complicated cooperative behaviors we perform as a single group. We can play a fast piece with a 9/8 time signature in an large ensemble comprised of various instruments with ease (think Celtic or Indian music as well as Western Orchestral). Why music makes sense to us is an even greater mystery.
If you ask me, I think we could sing before we could speak. :-)

For in-ear headphones, the Sennheiser CX500 will give you the best value.

If you're looking for something a bit less mainstream, the Etymotic ER6i performs well, and has great sound isolation.

But for something very affordable, check out the JBuds J3 in-ear headphones. They've been getting some good reviews.

I would recommend listening to this compilation and then explore the discographies of whatever bands on it you like the most:

No Thanks! The 70s Punk Rebellion


That covers all the standard essentials of early punk. Here's a couple other favorite comps of mine:

Good Vibrations: The Punk Singles Collection (best punk/powerpop singles from Irish label Good Vibrations)

Killed By Death (obscure 70s/80s punk)

I'm a huge fan of Trentemoller's remix of "We Share Our Mother's Health" (without doubt the best track on Trentemoller's double compilation CD, and that is one fantastic album), and of Fever Ray's song and video "When I grow Up".

BTW I recently discovered on Amazon that people ask just insane prices for one particular single: "Hearbeats": $163, new and $103, second hand. (BTW I've never heard it, yet - and the audio is muted on the videos on YouTube)

If you're looking for chill/instrumental, check out Explosions in the Sky. They're pretty cool and work well for background music while reading. They also releasing a new album, Take Care, Take Care, Take Care

off the top of my head:

• Bowie In Berlin covers Bowie & Iggy's time in Berlin; really nothing new or groundbreaking, just a deeper look into Bowie's Life at that time.
  
• Manson - Long Hard Road what i thought was going to be fluff and merch was actually a good look into his Life pre-Manson
  
• Scar Tissue the essential "did you read it, bro??"
  
• Three Dog Nightmare - a nice slice of rock excess
  
• A Long Time Gone - a good Asshole AutoBio of David Crosby
  
  and most recently:
  
• Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein is better than expected
  

In no particular order, my favorite Christmas albums are:

• A Charlie Brown Christmas - Vince Guaraldi Trio
  
  
• We Three Kings - The Roches
  
  
• When My Heart Finds Christmas - Harry Connick, Jr.
  
  
• Barenaked For The Holidays - Barenaked Ladies
  
  
• Oy to the World: A Klezmer Christmas - The Klezmonauts
  
  
• Christmas With The Puppini Sisters - The Puppini Sisters
  
  
• A Wintery Mix - The Raleigh Ringers
  
  
• Christmas in the Caribbean: Holiday Songs Performed on Steel Drums
  
  
• A Christmas Album - Amy Grant
  
  
• A Christmas Album - James Taylor

I run the 240 MkII. They're a lot easier on the budget and still sound great. I've been using them for about 2 years and they still look new. They're very comfortable too. I sometimes wear them up to 8 hours at a time.

When you're at the bottom of the heap and haven't established a fanbase who always comes out to your local shows (like at least more than 20 people who aren't on the guestlist), it can be tough to demand any kind of money from a venue for playing. That's when it's important to open for bands that are a little bigger than you in your style, stick around for the whole show, talk to people, act professionally, tear down your gear quickly, and generally make yourself as likeable as possible to make up for the fact that you didn't bring the whole world out to see you. That plus going out to other shows to support other people who are doing similar things as you are, doing an appropriate level of promotion, and being a good musician/songwriter will get you to the place where you have a fanbase and can start firmly but politely demanding the money you deserve. Then there's hiring a lawyer to shop a demo, all sorts of stuff. Definitely never pay to play, but playing for free, I'd say sure, maybe at the beginning. Demanding money up front that you can't earn back from ticket/drink sales for the venue the night of the show is just going to make you a pariah of the scene. If you want your soul further crushed about the music business, read this: http://www.amazon.com/This-Business-Music-Definitive-Industry/dp/0823077233

need to know what you're plugging the headphones into. if it's an ipod, really no need to get any better than these fantastic Sennheiser HD 202's. Noise-isolating enough for a NYC subway ride (not that it's always a good idea, mind you...) I've abused my pair for over 2 years now and they really are unbreakable, plus the sound quality is great for $20...

Anything really from the "Director's Label Series Boxed Set - The Works of Spike Jonze, Chris Cunningham, and Michel Gondry". Many of these videos have already been mentioned. Michel Gondry's DVD is my favorite.

These are probably my most watched DVD's. They really need to release these in Blu-Ray!

http://www.amazon.com/Directors-Label-Series-Boxed-Set/dp/B00065AXTM

You should read his book, its really good.

• Explosions In The Sky - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
  
• Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
  
• Battles - Gloss Drop
  
• Eddie Vedder - Ukulele Songs
  
• Wugazi - 13 Chambers edit: free download
  
• Wilco - The Whole Love
  
• Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
  
• The Strokes - Angles
  
• TV on the Radio - Nine Types of Light
  
• The Kills - Blood Pressures
  
• Tapes 'n Tapes - Outside

This was one of the first DVD's I actually purchased.... Such good.

https://www.amazon.com/No-Thanks-70s-Punk-Rebellion/dp/B0000DD539/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483728416&sr=8-1&keywords=no+thanks+box+set

"This Business of Music."

Read his book: http://www.amazon.com/Long-Hard-Road-Out-Hell/dp/0060987464/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342806655&sr=1-1&keywords=marilyn+manson

Vince Guaraldi Trio's album A Charlie Brown Christmas